The UK is set to be home to the world’s largest and deepest pool, used specifically for astronaut training, as part of a £150 million project. The project is supported by Tim Peake, the first British astronaut to board the International Space Station.
Set to be built in Cornwall, Blue Abyss, named suitably for its size and purpose, will be 164 feet deep, 164 feet long, and 131 feet wide.
The pool will accommodate 42 million liters of water, which may be translated to 17 Olympic sized swimming pools, or 169 million cups of tea. The pool is designed to replicate “extreme environments” with the intent to help train both astronauts and deep sea divers.
Additionally, the Blue Abyss will be used for testing new developments in underwater technology, including subsea robotics and mini submersibles.
[The pool will be a] huge research asset for aerospace, offshore energy, underwater robotics, human physiology, defense, leisure and marine industries, and a fantastic education center for children and university students.
John Vickers, chief executive of Blue Abyss
Tim Peake says he is “proud to be part of the Blue Abyss team,” and that Blue Abyss will “widen our knowledge of how humans and technology can function in extreme environments, for the benefit of people and the planet.”
The opportunities presented by Blue Abyss are limitless. There are also plans to use the pool for underwater film sets, a facility designed by British architect Robin Partington.
Underwater conditions, such as salinity, currents, lighting, and temperature, will be simultaneously controlled to replicate a variety of underwater environments.
Before the Blues Abyss, Poland’s Deepspot held the record for the world’s deepest pool when it opened near Warsaw in 2020. Learn more about this dive pool here.
